Surge of ‘rogue employers’ exploiting international care workers

They leave their homes thousands of miles away to care for the elderly and the vulnerable and yet there are increasing reports of international care workers being ripped off, abused and exploited.

Now the Royal College of Nursing is calling on the government to launch a full and urgent  investigation to ensure the experiences of victims are heard and to work on policy solutions to eradicate these practices.

The RCN said that in just three years there had been a six-fold increase in the number of overseas care workers complaining of exploitation by rogue employers.

And it says it is just the tip of the iceberg, with many working in the care sector too afraid to report their employers due to fears of retaliation, threats against their visas, or because they are not members of trade unions.

While Jamila Duncan-Bosu, from the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, said the reality is modern slavery is being baked into the care sector.

One care worker reported to the RCN that they have been suffering severe bullying and harassment but are unable to leave their role as they would be expected to pay £10,000, despite no specific figure of repayment being originally included in their contract.

Another care worker contacted the RCN after they resigned from their employer, partly due to being assaulted and racially abused at their workplace, and was then told they owed over £3,000 for visa costs.

While another had their employment immediately terminated after they reported to their employer that they had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the member faced a large repayment fee with no job or income.

We spoke to one man who was presented with a £9,500 bill when he resigned.  The company refused to give him a breakdown of the costs and threatened to report him to the Home Office so he would lose his visa.

A carer also spoke to us of being promised accommodation when she arrived which never materialised, of being made to work 5am to 11pm, and of being bullied.

The RCN says rogue employers have exploited the surge in international recruitment into the care sector.  More than 94,000 carers were recruited in the last year alone.

The Home Office said there has been an unacceptable rise in the recorded abuse and exploitation of care workers in the adult social care sector.

And added: “The sponsorship system, which holds providers to highest standards, has highlighted these unethical practices, and urgent work is taking place across the sector to address this.”

But the RCN wants a firmer commitment than this. In May alone it said it had 17 calls from members complaining about exploitation by rogue employers. These practices, it said, need to be eradicated.